realized something about writing..

I just realized something about writing, your reader is your best judgement of how good a writer you are. Am i right?. When I was in college I thought writing was only for myself cause i was doing what I the teachers taught me so i thought "ok I did a good enough job so thats good enough". Also dont you also write what you know too?. Any thoughts on this would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!

I think a lot more than just, "your reader's," approval goes into whether or not you are a good writer.

Sure, a commercial success would mean you are a good story teller, creative, and people love your book. But does that automatically make you a good writer? I would say no: It makes you a good story teller.

Story telling ability and good writing are two different skill sets in my opinion. Do I think they are exclusive? Absolutely not--I just think assuming you are a good writer because someone likes your book is a tad foolhardy. There are plenty of books out there that have seen commercial success--but aren't written all that well. Likewise, there are books who have succeeded with both skill sets. But, since we are discussing whether or not someone is a good writer based off a reader's opinion, I won't go into that.

As far as: "Do we write what we know?" Sure, I think to an extent. For example: I am writing an urban fantasy set one hundred years in the future. I don't know most of the things in my book until the moment I create it. But, as far as human nature type things (family, relationships, childhood etc.) yes, I do think we write what we know in that regard--whether we choose to or not. Do I think we are chained by what we know? Not at all. Do I think it can have a major influence in our work? Yes, I think it very well could.

Every writer writes for a subset of all the readers out there. A writer puts out his or her book and lets every reader come and sniff at it. Some like it, some don't. This is the process of finding an audience. Those who like your book are your audience - the ones likely to be interested in your next book.

It's not the vast body of readers out there who will determine how good your book is. Rather, your book will be a test for the readers; those who pass are your audience and those who fail are not. Note that this is not a condemnation of those readers who don't like your book. They may be highly intelligent and wonderful people. I merely mean that your book will sort the readership into those who are your audience and those who are not.

Whether or not you are a good writer depends on objective standards of literature. That's a subject I opened a thread on a while ago here. It got debated a lot.

there is a difference between a writer and a storyteller. King is an amazing storyteller but I think koontz is a better writer. the person that writes the directions for your iPhone is a writer, though I would not trust them to keep me interested. But they are good writers because they did what they sat out to do; educate you in how to use your device. by contrast a person could have a great story but spend so much time describing the wallpaper you loose interest (king) the rank of author to me is if he or she made me feel what they sat out t omake me feel ....good, bad , scared, horny, mad, or even sick....If I feel apathetic...they failed.